Cancer is a serious threat to modern society. Worldwide, more than 10 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year and it is estimated that this number will grow to 15 million new cases every year by 2020. Cancer causes six million deaths every year or 12% of the deaths worldwide. Current treatment options are often limited but widely employed. Of the 1.2 million patients newly diagnosed with cancer in the United States annually, approximately 50% will be treated with radiation therapy as part of initial disease management. Approximately 150,000 additional patients with recurrent cancer may receive radiation therapy each year in the U.S. Chemotherapy is administered to about 350,000 cancer patients in the U.S. annually.
High levels of circulating cholesterol are associated with atherosclerosis, which may result in life-threatening blockages of blood vessels to the heart and brain. Unstable angina, myocardial infarction (heart attack) and sudden ischemic death remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed nations. Current estimates indicate that 1.1 million people in the U.S. annually will have a new or recurrent coronary attack, and over 45 percent of these patients may die from the coronary attack.
Texaphyrins are small molecules having a ring-shaped chemical structure containing one of several metal atoms. The physical and chemical characteristics of texaphyrin molecules are determined by the properties of the ring and the type of metal atom inserted into the ring. Texaphyrins are designed to selectively concentrate in diseased tissue such as tumor cells and atherosclerotic plaque inside blood vessels. Inside diseased cells, texaphyrins block crucial steps in cellular metabolism and disrupt bioenergetic processes. Texaphyrins are designed to provide a valuable therapeutic approach to a broad range of diseases. These can be used for the treatment of a variety of diseases, including cancer, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, and potentially neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory diseases, and HIV/AIDS.